The streets of London have seen a familiar face return—one whose presence has stirred both hope and tension within Britain’s royal circles. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has arrived back in the United Kingdom, and according to those closest to him, he’s feeling the pull of home stronger than ever. With a string of charity events lined up and speculation swirling about a possible reconciliation with his father, King Charles III, Harry’s visit has become the talk of both palace insiders and the public at large.
Harry’s journey back to the UK began on Monday, September 8, 2025, as reported by The Standard and The Mirror. His first act upon landing was deeply personal: he visited the grave of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, a gesture that spoke volumes about his lingering ties to his royal roots. Officially, Harry’s return is to attend the WellChild Awards for sick children—an event for which he serves as patron—on September 9, as well as to check in with his other UK-based charities over the following days.
Yet, the undercurrent of this visit goes far beyond charity work. Friends of Harry, speaking to The Standard, have revealed that the Duke is “seriously homesick.” One confidant, using his old school nickname, shared, “Spike is seriously homesick. He’s started reaching out to us more and more. It started with very long and earnest WhatsApps. We actually all made a decision when we started getting them not to take the piss out of them. Something we couldn’t have imagined doing a few years before. Anyway, gradually he seems to be sounding more normal. Whenever anyone goes to America they try to see him. It never seems to be with Meghan though. We think he is beginning to pine for home.”
This longing for home is set against a backdrop of royal estrangement. Since Harry and Meghan’s dramatic departure from royal duties in 2020—a move that took them first to Canada and then, inevitably, to Los Angeles—relations between Harry and his family have been fraught. Harry’s public criticisms, from his explosive Oprah Winfrey interview alleging racism within the royal family to his memoir Spare and a recent BBC interview criticizing his father’s lack of intervention in a government dispute over security, have only deepened the divide.
Despite these public rifts, there are signs the door to reconciliation may not be entirely shut. Rumors have been circulating around the palace that King Charles has been given just two years to live, a development that may be weighing heavily on Harry’s mind. “There might be an element of calculation to this; the Sussexes are beginning to feel the chill of fending for themselves as non-royals,” The Standard notes, pointing out that Harry’s lucrative Netflix contract has been downgraded to a first-option agreement, potentially increasing his longing for the royal fold.
King Charles, meanwhile, is said to miss his youngest son deeply. One of the King’s courtiers told The Standard, “Harry seems to have forgotten this but his father always absolutely adored him. He always called him ‘my darling boy’ and was so affectionate. People always seem to think that Harry inherited all his charm from his mother, but lots of the things he is good at, being attentive and always remembering people’s names, is something that comes directly from the King.”
The relationship between Harry and his older brother, Prince William, is another complex thread in the royal tapestry. In Spare, Harry describes a tense encounter after the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: “Then at last I saw them. Shoulder to shoulder, striding towards me, they looked grim, almost menacing. More, they looked tightly aligned. My stomach dropped. Normally they would be squabbling about one thing or another, but now they appeared to be in lockstep—in league.” According to palace insiders, William does not phone the King directly, preferring instead to schedule calls through the King’s private office, highlighting the formal—and perhaps strained—nature of their communication.
As for the King, he was last seen publicly on Saturday, September 6, 2025, attending the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland, dressed in one of his beloved kilts. His presence there was noted by both The Standard and The Mirror. However, his stay in Scotland has concluded as he heads south for both cancer treatment and to attend the funeral of his cousin, the Duchess of Kent, at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025. Whether Harry will also be present at the funeral remains uncertain. Attendance would require him to extend his trip by three days, but as both publications note, Harry has been punctilious about attending family funerals even during periods of estrangement. The last time the two princes saw each other was at the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, in August 2024, where, according to a congregant, “they did not so much as glance in each other’s direction.”
All of this unfolds as speculation mounts about whether Harry and Charles will seize the chance for a private meeting. The palace remains tight-lipped, and the public is left to wonder: will this visit mark the first step toward healing, or will it simply underline the emotional distance that years of conflict have wrought?
For Harry, the emotional stakes are high. Friends say his messages have become more heartfelt, and that he seems to be “sounding more normal” as he reconnects with his old life—though notably, these visits rarely include Meghan. For Charles, the pain of separation is palpable. The King, described as both affectionate and attentive, reportedly misses the son he once called “my darling boy.”
Whatever the outcome of this visit, the dynamics within the royal family remain as intricate and compelling as ever. The interplay of duty, regret, and the hope for forgiveness is playing out not just behind palace walls, but in the public eye. As the King prepares for treatment and the family faces another loss with the passing of the Duchess of Kent, the opportunity for reconciliation may be fleeting.
Time will tell whether Harry and Charles can find their way back to each other, but for now, the Duke’s homesick heart—and the King’s enduring affection—keep the hope of reunion alive.